Anime Dungeon Keeper
by A-kun
Summary: Instead of the usual monsters of Dungeon Keeper, anime characters are getting tossed in! It starts innocently with Love Hina, but who else will show up?
1. Anime Dungeon Keeper 1

Author: Hmmm, got the lairs... got the hatchery, got the prison,   
torture chamber, combat pit, library, temple, graveyard... OH yeah,   
forgot the treasury.  
[Author waves his hands and about thirty seconds later, a large chamber   
was prepared. Another wave of his hands and a massive treasury, which   
was almost overfull, was in the chamber.]  
Author: Okay, time to start it.  
[SFX: *SHING*]  
[Monks: {chanting} aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhh-]  
[Scene: A massive hallway with a doorway filled with light. Roughly   
five feet in front of the doorway was a head-sized gyroscope with   
twenty or so small flat square-like gems. In front of THAT was an aged   
wizard, with a long white beard, a blue hat and blue sleeveless robes.   
The wizard held a staff in his left hand and peered at the gems with   
his right. With his right hand, he seemed to be trying to pick one of   
the gems.]  
[The camera pulls back, passing through a slightly open wooden door to   
show a dwarf leaning against a stone wall, snoring.]  
[Sweeping to an indistiguishable reinforced wall, the light sound of   
metal against stone is heard, followed by a slightly louder noise of   
stones moving. Suddenly, the wall explodes open, revealing a shower of   
small yellow creatures will adorable round eyes, almost like a fusion   
between a cat and a blush toy bear, all holding pick-axes. As the   
creatures land, all but two teleport away.]  
[The dwarf awakens at the noise as a hoard of skeletons enter through   
the wall, screaming horrific battle cries. The dwarf looks around in a   
panic, trying to tell where the intruders were. He runs off towards   
the noise as a much larger and more recognizable monster walks into the   
dungeon.]  
[The Reaper, Horny, enters with the more skeletons, snarling as he made   
his way into towards their destination. As the skeletons are moving   
faster, Horny stands aside long enough for them to pass him by.]  
[The wizard, also alerted by the sound of entering monsters, turns and   
heads towards the door just as the dwarf ran directly into Horny. The   
dwarf looked up as the immense demon, who snarled and barred his   
impressive fangs. The dwarf ran away, screaming his head off in   
terror.]  
[The wizard reached the door to see piles of destroyed skeletons. He   
looked around for the creature that had made the more terrifying sound   
and saw Horny as he turned the bend and started towards the wooden   
door. The wizard backed away in fear, slamming the door shut and   
barring it. He looked around for something that might help and caught   
sight of the gyroscope again. There were likely traps that may be   
useful in deterring the red Reaper.]  
[Just as the wizard headed towards the gyroscope, a knight leapt out in   
front of the door, spinning his blade in an impressive display. Horny   
simply barred his teeth again and extended the blade on his scythe.   
The two warriors charged at each other.]  
[The knight swung twice in an 'x' pattern, but Horny blocked the   
strikes easily. He swung upwards in a reverse diagonal slash, forcing   
Horny backwards, before slashing at Horny's throat, missing by a   
hairsworth as Horny ducked backwards. Horny knocked over a standing   
torch, spilling its oil as he righted himself and smiled as the flames   
coated the battleground.]  
[Meanwhile, the wizard reached into the gyroscope and caught one of the   
gems, causing the other gems to vanish and stopping the gyroscope. A   
door with a circle near the top slid down in the door way as bracing   
boards slid to hold it in place. The wizard held the gem up to the   
light to admire it's beauty.]  
[Horny charged again, this time catching the knight's blade and moving   
it down as he slid inside the knight's defense and shoulder-slammed   
him, catapulting the knight backwards through the door to skid across   
the floor, coming to a halt near the gyroscope as Horny marched in   
through the broken door.]  
[The wizard was still studying the gem in fascination, albeit behind a   
pillar, as the knight slid to a halt near him. The wizard glanced over   
at him in surprise, then ducked before Horny's scythe could decapitate   
him. He ran across the room as fast as he could, but the Horned Reaper   
was not deterred in the least. The wizard turned, hoping to catch the   
Reaper off-guard with a Super Firebomb, but Horny swatted the spell   
right back at the wizard, killing him instantly and sending his corpse   
toppling to the ground.]  
[Horny smiled as the wizard's hand went limp, revealing the gem. He   
plucked it from the dead wizard's hand. He held it up to the light   
shining through the hole in the door.]  
  
"Keitaro! Why don't you find something to do instead of hanging   
around our house all day?" Keitaro's mother asked, exasperated at her   
son. Most other children couldn't wait to leave while their parents   
didn't want to see them go. Keitaro's mother wished her son would   
leave or at least get into a practical apprenticeship.  
"Fine! I'll move out and find a job." Keitaro Urashima answered   
jokingly.  
"You'd do that?" Keitaro's mother inquired, excited.  
"Eh?" Keitaro asked.  
Before Keitaro could blink, he had some bags in his hands and his   
mother was hustling him out the door. A full blink later, he was   
standing at the edge of the village with three bags full of his stuff   
and no clue as to what to do.  
He considered his options. He had an apprenticeship in artistry,   
cleaning, and wood carving, but his masters had been killed in various   
accidents involving homicidal goblins. He had some blacksmithing   
experience too, but he'd been fired when he'd accidentally set his   
master's hair on fire. He'd put it out fairly fast, but the water had   
cooled and broken the sword his master had been working on.  
He supposed he could get some work as a blacksmith, though. He'd   
been very good and it hadn't been too long since his apprenticeship.   
If it hadn't been a supremely important client's sword, he doubted he   
would've been fired.  
Suddenly, he got an idea. There was a Keeper nearby. If he   
could get work with anyone, it would be a Keeper. Not only would he   
get all the food he wanted, but free lodgings and pay too. And if any   
heroes killed the keeper, he could say he was being used against his   
will, take his accumulated pay and go home. His mother wouldn't kick   
him out if he had a mountain of gold.  
But how did one get hired by a-  
Before Keitaro could finish that thought, he found himself in a   
pit. He blinked. He tossed his bags to the top and climbed out, then   
blinked yet again. He was in a dungeon. The kind that had the keepers   
he had wanted to get hired by. But how had that happened?  
"Huh? What's going on?" Keitaro inquired aloud.  
He saw a few blurs run past him. One stopped and turned to him.   
It was a small yellow creature with adorable round eyes, cute stubby   
arms and large feet.  
The small creature chirped, smiling an adorable smile, before   
taking one of Keitaro's bags and motioning him to follow it.  
He followed it to a strange chamber, where three archways   
connected around a circular pit that had some sort of pulsating   
membrance inside.  
//SO, YOU ARE THE ONE WHO ENTERED.// came a loud and commanding   
voice inside Keitaro's head.  
"HUH?! WHA?! Who said that?!" Keitaro asked.  
//IT IS I, THE KEEPER OF THE DUNGEON HEART. SPEAK, MORTAL, WHY   
DIDST THOU ENTER MINE REALM?// the voice demanded.  
"Um, I'm Keitaro Urashima... I came so I could find some work."   
Keitaro answered.  
//VERY WELL, KEITARO URASHIMA. I SENSE THAT YOUR ABILITIES WITH   
YOUR HANDS IS QUITE ADMIRABLE. ARE THOU A MONK? OR PERHAPS THOU ART A   
SWORDSMAN?//  
"Um, not really, I don't like violence. I can draw, carve wood   
and clean." Keitaro explained.  
//THOSE AREN'T EXACTLY THINGS THAT I NEED. YOU MUST HAVE SOME   
SKILLS THAT COULD BE USEFUL, AS YOU WERE CALLED BY A PORTAL. IF THOU   
ART NOT A FIGHTER, PERHAPS THOU ART A MAGE OR A BLACKSMITH?//  
"Actually, I'm pretty good at blacksmithing." Keitaro answered.  
//CAN THOU MAKE DOORS AND TRAPS?//  
"If I have some instructions to go by, sure." Keitaro   
acknowledged.  
//VERY WELL, THEN, KEITARO URASHIMA. THOU ART NOW DESIGNATED AS   
A TROLL. SORRY, BUT I HAVE TO CLASSIFY PEOPLE BY A SET PATTERN, OR   
ELSE YOU DON'T GET PAID PROPERLY. IN ANY CASE, ONE OF THE LIDDO CAN   
SHOW YOU AN OPEN LAIR AND JUST LISTEN FOR CHICKENS IN ORDER TO FIND THE   
HATCHERY. YOU'LL KNOW WHERE THE TREASURY IS WHEN IT'S PAYDAY.//  
"Um, can I ask a question?" Keitaro inquired.  
//GO AHEAD.//  
"Why do you alternate from Ye Olde Englishe to normal?" Keitaro   
asked.  
//................... ANYWAY, THE LIDDO WILL SHOW YOU THE WAY.   
THAT IS ALL.//  
Keitaro was about to ask for an answer when the yellow creature,   
Liddo, tugged on his arm and began pulling him towards the lairs. He   
followed it reluctantly, still grumbling over the fact that he still   
hadn't gotten a decent answer.  
They entered a room with green carpet on the floor and four beds   
scattered about the room. Liddo lead Keitaro to a blank spot of carpet   
and a new bed appeared. Keitaro noticed the other four beds were gone   
and there were closets and dressers, as well as a separate room   
containing a bath.  
"What's-" Keitaro began.  
//LISTEN WELL, KEITARO. ONCE YOU'VE CLAIM A LAIR, THE MAGICAL   
NATURE OF THE ROOM CREATES A POCKET DIMENSION THAT FILLS THE ENTIRE   
AREA THE LAIRS ORIGINALLY TOOK UP. TO THE NORMAL WORLD, IT LOOKS LIKE   
A SIMPLE BED, BUT ONCE YOU STAND NEXT TO YOUR BED, THE LAIR WILL TAKE   
ON IT'S CURRENT APPEARANCE. SHOULD YOU DECIDE TO LEAVE OR CHANGE THE   
LOCATION OF YOUR LAIR, YOUR BELONGINGS AND PAY WILL FOLLOW YOU UNTIL   
YOU OR I DIE. SHOULD I DIE OR YOU LEAVE, ALL OF YOUR BELONGINGS AND   
PAY WILL APPEAR AROUND YOU. SHOULD YOU DIE, ALL OF YOUR BELONGINGS   
WILL RETURN TO WHOMEVER YOU DICTATE AS YOUR INHERITOR. DO NOT WORRY   
ABOUT ANYONE SEEING YOU NAKED, THE POCKET DIMENSION WILL ONLY SHOW YOU   
JUST AS YOU WERE WHEN YOU ENTERED. TO EXIT THE POCKET DIMENSION,   
SIMPLY WALK OFF THE EDGE OF THE CARPETED AREA.//  
Keitaro nodded and set his stuff down. He walked to the edge of   
the carpet and stepped off, blinking as the room with the beds   
reappeared, only there were now five. He looked up, "Um, if it would   
be all right, can I go to work now?"  
//CERTAINLY. NOW, THERE IS A UNIFORM FOR TROLLS. AH, HERE IT   
IS.//  
Keitaro felt a draft. He looked down and saw that he was wearing   
nothing but a belt buckle.  
"YIPE!" Keitaro yelped, covering himself.  
  
Keitaro: AUTHOR! I CAN'T WORK NUDE!  
Motoko, Kitsune, Shinobu, Naru: YEAH! It's distracting!  
Author: Fine!  
Kanako: I don't mind.  
[Kanako intimidates Haruka to agree.]  
Haruka: I don't mind either.  
Author: Sorry, you were outvoted.  
  
Keitaro felt a draft. He looked down and saw that he was wearing   
nothing but a belt buckle and a loin cloth. In his right hand, he held   
a massive hammer.  
"YIPE!" Keitaro yelped, covering himself.  
"Doesn't this come with more?" Keitaro asked.  
//NOT REALLY. IN FACT, I ADDED SOME CLOTH TO COVER YOUR ASS.   
TROLLS DON'T CARE ABOUT THEIR APPEARANCES.//  
"I've changed my mind! I'll be anything that wears clothes!"   
Keitaro asked.  
//IT'S EITHER THIS OR BE A GOBLIN. THEY DIE QUITE EASILY. BE   
GLAD I DIDN'T MAKE YOU A BILE DEMON. YOU HAVE TO EXPEL GAS, HIT THINGS   
WITH YOUR HEAD AND YOU'D BE WEARING LESS THAN YOU ARE NOW. BESIDES,   
YOU'RE RESISTANT TO FIRE AND HEAT, YOU'VE GOT MORE STRENGTH THAN YOU   
NORMALLY WOULD AND YOU HAVE BETTER EYESIGHT THAN MORE OF THE PEOPLE YOU   
USED TO ENVY, SO STOP COMPLAINING. WE HAVE A LOT OF WORK FOR YOU TO   
DO.//  
Keitaro sighed. Maybe joining a Keeper hadn't been the best   
idea.  
  
It wasn't too bad once he got used to it. In truth, it was   
always difficult to blacksmith when one had to stand as far back as one   
could from the item one was forging to prevent one's hair or clothes   
from being lit of fire from the sparks. Keitaro found that with his   
new eyesight, his glasses were worthless. He could see better without   
his glasses than he ever could before, with or without glasses. And   
with his heat-resistance, he could work much more closely to what he   
was working on.  
The forge had several work areas, three furnace-forge areas,   
where one could forge items while keeping them hot enough to work with,   
and four cold forge areas where things that didn't require much/any   
heat could be made.  
The process of building traps and doors was an unusual one.   
Instead of forging said doors and traps full sized, Keitaro created   
miniatures of said items, then constructed a metal box around each one,   
then carved a special rune on the top. Liddos came, picked up the   
boxes and dragged them to their destination, where they then channelled   
some mana into the runes, causing the miniatures to grow to full size.  
Ingenious, really. It took less than a third of the time to   
construct them and the doors would ALWAYS fit. The only difference   
between traps and doors was that traps would be fed mana regularly   
while the doors (save for the magic door) would not need mana to   
operate.  
Keitaro had worked for what felt like six hours when he started   
to get hungry. He decided to grab something to eat. Leaving his   
hammer behind, he kricked his neck and headed out of the workshop to   
look for the hatchey.  
He heard the sound of chickens buckawing as he exited the forge   
and headed towards the noise. He found another room, perhaps larger   
than the one for the lair, with six hen houses and numerous chickens   
hopping around. Three women were already in the room. The first two   
looked about as tall as he was while the third one was shorter by about   
a head's height.  
The first was a short platinum-haired woman wearing blue robes.   
Her eyes seemed closed, but from the way she moved, she could see just   
fine.  
The next girl had long brown hair that reached about thigh   
height. She had brown eyes and wore a simple black robe.  
The third and final girl was flying. She had dark skin, blonde   
hair tied back into a short ponytail, and bright green eyes. She wore   
a white bodysuit.  
The trio each grabbed a chicken off the ground and stuffed said   
poultry into their mouths-  
  
Naru: [coughing up feathers] AUTHOR! This isn't going to work!  
Author: Oh, fine. Big babies.  
  
The trio grabbed chickens off the ground. The chickens   
spontaneously transformed into fried chicken.  
  
Author: Happy?  
All: Yes, quite.  
  
"Whoa... that's impressive..." Keitaro commented, picking up a   
chicken of his own. It too transformed into a fully prepared and   
properly cooked chicken.  
The girls ate their chickens in varying manners. The flying girl   
swallowed hers whole, the platinum-haired one took massive bites out of   
hers, the brown-haired girl took smaller bites from hers.  
"Are these boneless?" Keitaro inquired.  
The trio looked over at him, noticing him for the first time.  
"A new one... and he ain't half bad, appearance wise." the   
platinum-haired girl commneted, seemingly sizing Keitaro up.  
"Is he here to play?!" the flying girl inquired.  
The brown-haired girl rolled her eyes, before walking over to   
Keitaro and extending a free hand, "I'm Naru Narusegawa, a mercenary   
Monk."  
"Hello, I'm Keitaro Urashima, um... the Keeper said I was a   
Troll." Keitaro answered.  
"I was wondering who was making all those doors. You're quite a   
craftsman." the platinum-hairled girl said, approaching and extending   
her hand to shake Keitaro's, "I'm Mitsune Konno, warlock. Everyone   
calls me Kitsune, though."  
"Ah." Keitaro acknowledged.  
"And she's Kaolla Su, a mercenary Fairy." Naru said, motioning to   
Kaolla.  
"Pleased to meet you!" Kaolla said, before looking at Keitaro's   
chicken and drooling, "You aren't eating it, so can I have yours?"  
"Uh, sure." Keitaro said, handing the roasted chicken over to   
Kaolla, "But, I was wondering if these were boneless or not..."  
"They've got bones before you pick one up, but afterwards the   
magic that cooks them for us also makes them boneless. Cuts down on   
the gristle too." Kitsune answered, before Kaolla swallowed the roasted   
chicken whole.  
"Not quite true. It mostly depends on your preferences. Guess   
you like bones, Keitaro." Kaolla corrected before spitting out the   
ribcage and thigh bones of the roasted chicken. The bones hit the   
ground and powdered instantly before even the powder dissolved.  
"That's some clean up." Keitaro commented.  
"Anyway, keeper-made hatcheries have that advantage. They also   
don't leave residue or stains, so if you drop them or they fall on your   
clothes, you don't need to worry about having to clean yourself up."   
Kaolla continued.  
"Anyway, I've got to get back to researching spells. Nice to   
meet you, Keitaro." Kitsune said, before waving goodbye and exiting the   
room.  
"Why is she researching spells? Shouldn't she know some   
already?" Keitaro inquired.  
"Yes, but she researches them for the Keeper. You see, the   
keeper is pretty powerful when it comes to building things, but casting   
spells is different. I don't understand everything, but it seems to be   
about establishing patterns so that the magic will work better." Naru   
explained.  
"I'm OFF!" Kaolla said, zooming over Keitaro head.  
"Where's she going?" Keitaro inquired.  
"She and Tama-chan the Firefly both do scouting for our keeper."   
Naru answered.  
"Ah. And what do you do?" Keitaro asked.  
"Well.... currently, I'm the frontline fighter and healer. When   
our keeper gets more actual fighters, I'll be more of a healer and   
exorcist against Vampires." Naru explained.  
"Ah, I see. So, who are we fighting?" Keitaro requested,   
grabbing another chicken and beginning to feast on the already cooked   
poultry.  
"Just about everyone. If you can't tell, we're working for a   
pretty new Keeper." Naru told him.  
"You, Kitsune and Kaolla seem to be old friends." Keitaro   
commented, dropping the already finished carcass and grabbing another   
chicken. Something about the chicken left him feeling like he'd just   
finished a single sandwich, even though a bird that size was usually a   
meal for two people, maybe more.  
Naru nodded, "Kitsune, Kaolla and I used to work for a nice   
keeper... an old woman named Grandma Hina, but she passed away recently   
of old age."  
"GRANDMA HINA?! HINA URASHIMA?!" Keitaro asked, dropping his   
chicken.  
"You knew her?" Naru inquired.  
"She was MY grandma!" Keitaro answered.  
"Urashima... AH! You're her grandson?! That makes you Haruka's   
nephew! But you can't be much younger than her!" Naru demanded.  
Keitaro nodded assent, "Aunt Haruka is only seven years older   
than I am!"  
"EH?!" Naru exclaimed, shocked.  
  
Kitsune had a very difficult job. One could say that hers   
rivaled Keitaro's in need of someone with a great deal of competency.   
Her job was also a very boring one.  
It was up to her and other magical researchers to infuse certain   
magics into the leylines of the dungeon that the Liddo created so that   
the Keeper could utilize them.  
To do so required her to scribe various runes on pillars in the   
library. Which meant looking over her books, finding certain spells   
and transplanting them in short form onto said pillars. An inept mage   
could take days checking and double checking runes for accuracy.  
Of course, the spells would only work for THAT particular   
dungeon. The Keeper would have to build another library in the next   
dungeon before she/he/it could cast those spells in the other dungeon.   
Which meant waiting again until the mages finished transcribing the   
spells. Luckily for the Keeper, Kitsune was more skilled and thus   
could finish the work in roughly half the time a lesser mage could.  
Getting the spells down was relatively easy. However, there was   
also the job of increasing the usefulness of the spell, either by   
increasing its power, reducing it's mana cost or making it's effect   
last longer.  
That required writing the full incantation on the pillars. And   
when spells could take two to sixteen pages, that became quite the   
hassle.  
If it weren't for the fact that being a warlock paid so well, she   
probably would have been something more interesting.  
She heard a strange noise. It was the sound of someone entering   
through the gateway. She hummed to herself. Was it worth the effort   
to meet the new person? It would get her away from the boring work for   
a while. Besides, the keeper wasn't in a rush to conquer castles or   
anything.  
Kitsune exited the library and walked towards the Dungeon Heart,   
where the newbie was getting the lowdown on how things worked.  
Kitsune paused as she entered the Heart room, seeing a girl with   
dark brown hair tied back into a ponytail. However, the rest of her   
hairstyle and her face reminded Kitsune of Naru. Her chest, however,   
was more expansive than even Kitsune's. The girl was wearing a green   
sweater with a brown skirt. She looked rather pale, even in the light   
of the Heart.  
//AH, KITSUNE, THIS IS MUTSUMI OTOHIME. SHE'S GOING TO BE OUR   
FIRST MISTRESS.// the Keeper told her.  
"Aaaaah...ah. Right." Kitsune responded.  
The girl looked too kind to be a Mistress, but if that's what she   
wanted to be...  
//WHY DON'T YOU SHOW HER TO A LAIR, THEN GIVE HER A TOUR OF THE   
PLACE?//  
[What am I? A tour guide?] Kitsune asked herself.  
//IT'LL BE GOOD EXERCISE _AND_ IT'LL EXCUSE YOU FROM DITCHING   
WORK.// the Keeper told her directly, knowing what she was thinking.  
Mutsumi smiled as Kitsune led her to the lairs.  
"He sounds like a very nice Keeper." Mutsumi commented.  
"Yeah, so long as you don't mess around too much." Kitsune   
answered.  
"Well, I don't intend to do much of that." Mutsumi responded.  
Kitsune wondered if Mutsumi had heard the Keeper's comment to her   
just as they arrived at the lair.  
"Pick a spot." Kitsune told her.  
Mutsumi entered the lair and found a spot in the middle. A bed   
rose a few seconds later and Mutsumi disappeared. Roughly thirty   
seconds later, Mutsumi reappeared at the lair's edge in a black latex   
bodysuit. The back was open as well as the buttocks, but a strip   
prevented it from being too revealing. On the right hand was a pair of   
summonable metal claws that could be summoned or sent away at a   
moment's thought. The only thing missing was the cap that swept all of   
the Mistress' hair back into a fountaining ponytail so that no blood or   
gore could get into it easily.  
"Where to next?" Mutsumi inquired.  
"Um, I guess the room where you'll be working." Kitsune answered.  
Kitsune lead the girl done to the torture chamber, which was past   
the hatchery and library.  
Kitsune didn't particularly like the torture chamber. She'd been   
in one shortly before Grandma Hina had sent forces to rescue her, so   
she knew exactly what happened inside some of the less sexually-  
oriented ones. By comparison, she would've preferred a more sexually   
oriented torture chamber.  
Thus, it was why she so rarely frequented the area. Torture   
chambers were pretty much the same. Numerous magical wooden wheels   
mounted either on the floor or the ground with either glowing embers to   
burn the enemy or water to wear away at their strength and endurance.   
Also accompanying the wheels were electric chairs and in the areas that   
were too short in width to mount another torture device had the   
implements with which a Mistress could hasten confessions or   
conversions.  
Even looking in the room gave her the willies. She had once   
thought she could be perverse, but the mistresses who'd had her had   
proved her so very, very wrong.  
"Hmmm, not much lube. I suppose I'll have to ask the Keeper to   
buy some..." Mutsumi commented.  
Kitsune blushed.  
Then, they heard the sound of a Liddo running in terror. It was   
very distinguishable as it was the only time a Liddo would drag it's   
pickaxe against the ground.  
"Kitsune! A Knight is in the Dungeon!" Naru exclaimed as she ran   
past the doorway.  
"Say what?!" Kitsune demanded, spinning and running out after   
Naru.  
Kitsune looked back to see Mutsumi and Keitaro following closely   
behind her.  
[Good. Knights are bad enough when facing them alone, but at   
least we've got two people who might deal this one long enough for me   
to cast a Firebomb.] Kitsune thought as she ran.  
  
The knight had gotten in when the Liddo had finished mining a   
gold vein, which just happened to lead to a hero gate though which the   
knight had just stepped through.  
The knight wore the standard shining silver armor, horned helmet   
and carried the traditional glowing sword. From the way the knight   
moved, he was obviously no rookie. His movements were graceful, yet   
determined. He also wasn't laughing cockily or holding his sword in   
front of him, meaning he wasn't brash or overly nervous.  
Kitsune slowed and began chanting a fireball spell. It probably   
wouldn't do much if the knight was exceptionally powerful, but would   
likely distract the knight long enough for them to work the two newbies   
into the battle formula. Keitaro and Mutsumi zipped around Kitsune as   
she came to a stop.  
Naru didn't stop, but rather charged faster at the knight,   
leaping forward while spinning, before lashing out in a powerful kick.   
The knight caught the spinning jump kick, much to Naru's surprise, and   
tossed her towards the far wall.  
The knight dodged Kitsune's fireball, but not Mutsumi's   
lightning. The knight staggered, but regained his senses and continued   
forward. Keitaro charged and managed to slam his hammer against the   
knight's chestplate, but he found out a bit late that the knight's   
armor was magically reinforced while his hammer wasn't. He lowered his   
hammer and tried to stop the ringing sensation running up and down his   
body.  
The knight struck Keitaro in the forehead with the butt of his   
sword, sending the boy to his back. Naru slid in while the knight was   
distracted and slammed the knight's armor with several powerful blows,   
dealing much more damage than Keitaro's hammer strike had. Naru jumped   
backwards just as Mutsumi cast a freeze spell, sealing the knight in a   
block of ice.  
The ice shattered abruptly and the knight whirled his blade,   
creating a localized cyclone that knocked Naru and Mutsumi off their   
feet and tossed them and Keitaro against the walls. Unfortunately for   
the knight, Kitsune had been protected from the whirlwind by the   
corridor she was still in and she had just finished her firebomb spell   
as the cyclone died.  
The knight took the firebomb straight in the chest, and the   
explosion sent the knight catapulting back towards the hero gate he had   
come from. Kitsune wasn't going to take any chances, though. She   
quickly cast a follow-up fireball spell on the fallen knight as the   
Keeper healed Keitaro, Naru and Mutsumi.  
//THANK YOU FOR YOUR WORK, EVERYONE. THE LIDDO WILL TAKE IT FROM   
HERE.// the Keeper announced.  
"We beat him?" Naru asked groggily. The cyclone hadn't hurt   
much, but striking the wall HAD.  
//INDEED. AND WITH MUTSUMI'S HELP, WE'LL HAVE A NEW ALLY. IN   
THE MEANTIME, THE LIDDO WILL DESTROY THE GATE. KEITARO, I'D LIKE YOU   
TO GET BACK TO WORK ON THE DOORS SOME MORE BEFORE YOU GO TO BED.// the   
Keeper responded.  
"Right." Keitaro answered, shuddering at the thought of taking on   
another Knight anytime soon.  
"What the- check it out! The knight was a girl!" Kitsune stated,   
pointing at the knight, who's helmet had fallen off after the firebomb   
spell.  
"Wow... that was impressive." Keitaro commented.  
"No kidding, she tossed me like I was a wet rag!" Naru noted as   
the Liddo began dragging the fallen knight to the prison, where she   
would later be placed in the torture chamber for Mutsumi to take   
"care" of.  
  
=======================================================================  
  
This is starting out a Love Hina/Dungeon Keeper 2 story, but it   
will evolve into a multi-crossover (as many of my stories do).  
Indeed, I've rarely written a story without some cameos for   
another series I like popping up.  
If anyone would like to suggest characters from other animes in   
certain roles, be my guest. I'll accept most submissions, but be   
warned that there will be rejections of ideas. Don't fear failure   
though, I like people who e-mail me with ideas, even if I don't use   
them.  
  
Current Cast  
  
Liddo-kun and friends as Imps  
Keitaro as a Troll  
Kitsune as a Warlock  
Kaolla as a Mercenary Fairy  
Naru as a Elite Monk  
Mutsumi as a Mistress  
Tama-chan as a Firefly  
Motoko as a converted Knight (which means very naughty things,  
with mischevious results) 


	2. Anime Dungeon Keeper 2

Keitaro was relieved. His work was finally done. Well, for a   
while, anyway. Steel doors, secret doors and magic doors filled the   
entire Dungeon... well, the current, unexpanded Dungeon and he hadn't   
gotten around to the orders for traps yet.  
He decided to step out and get something to eat, plus maybe talk   
with Naru or one of the other girls. He didn't know what Narusegawa   
did around the Dungeon, other than fight.  
"Myu, myu!" came a strange call from behind Keitaro as he neared   
the hatchery.  
He turned to see a small turtle flying toward him. It's legs   
were similar to those of a sea turtle rather than the land-based   
turtles.  
"A FLYING turtle?" Keitaro asked, incredulously as it slowed and   
turned slightly to land perfectly on his shoulder.  
"Myu!" the turtle declared, raising a fin-leg as if it to say   
"hi!".  
"Um, hi." Keitaro answered.  
"OY! KEITARO!" came a cry from Kaolla.  
Keitaro turned just to get a body check from Kaolla. He sat up   
and looked at Kaolla, "What was THAT all about?!"  
"Sorry, I've got to work on my stops." Kaolla answered as the   
turtle, who had managed to avoid falling with Keitaro, flew over to her   
and "myu"ed a couple of times.  
Kaolla nodded, then turned to Keitaro, "Tama-chan says she didn't   
get to finish her introduction. Her name's Tamago, but we call her   
Tama-chan. She's supposed to be a Hot Springs Turtle, but the Keeper   
decided to make her a Firefly. I think it would be cooler to make her   
a Giant!"  
"You can understand her?" Keitaro asked.  
Kaolla nodded, "Most of us can get a basic idea of what she's   
saying. The Keeper and I seem to be the only one who can understand   
her perfectly."  
"Ah..." Keitaro answered, before nodding to the flying turtle.  
"Tama-chan, this is Keitaro. He's the new Troll. I think it's   
because he used to live under a bridge or something." Kaolla explained   
to Tama-chan.  
"I DID NOT! I lived in a normal village. It's just that I'm   
only really good at blacksmithing." Keitaro stated as he got up.  
"Oh? Can you regenerate lost limbs?" Kaolla asked.  
"Huh?" Keitaro inquired.  
"If you don't know, then probably not." Kaolla responded.  
"Myu myu." Tama-chan agreed.  
"You there." came a commanding voice from behind Keitaro.  
The trio turned to see the female knight from the other day. The   
scorch marks from Kitsune's firebomb, as well as the damage from the   
impact, were still evident. She carried her helmet under her left arm.  
"You're the blacksmith, aren't you?" the knight asked, directing   
her gaze to Keitaro.  
Keitaro nodded.  
"My helmet and breastplate were damaged in that fight. I need   
you to fix them." the knight told Keitaro.  
Keitaro nodded, "All right. My name's Keitaro Urashima, how do   
you do?"  
Keitaro extended a hand out of friendship.  
"...." The female knight began, as if mentally berating herself,   
"I'm Motoko Aoyama, knight... former knight of the Legion of the   
Shinmei Kingdom."  
Kaolla whistled, "They're supposed to be some of the best   
fighters in the world! Outside of the Royal Guards, Dark Angels and   
Dark Knights."  
Motoko's right eye twitched.  
"Oh yeah, this is Kaolla Su, a Fairy; and Tama-chan the   
Firefly." Keitaro said, introducing Kaolla and Tama-chan.  
"Myu!" Tama-chan declared, raising a fin/leg.  
"Quaint. Now, Urashima, about my armor..." Motoko began.  
"Well, I'm kind of on my lunch break. You can either wait for a   
little bit or leave it in my workshop. Either way, it'll probably take   
about an hour, maybe more if the metal is magically protected." Keitaro   
commented.  
"Very well, I shall leave it in your workshop. But if it will   
take longer, send a messenger." Motoko responded.  
Keitaro nodded, then sighed as Motoko left, "And I just finished   
with the doors too."  
"Guess it sucks to be a troll." Kaolla commented, "Especially if   
you live under bridges."  
"I DON'T!" Keitaro replied.  
  
Kitsune was bored. Kaolla could sometimes help her, but that was   
usually only for about half an hour before she got bored and left to   
explore. Kitsune, on the other hand, had to keep working. It was what   
she got paid for.  
At least she was almost to the end of another pillar, meaning she   
could take a break for a while. Just as she'd finished the final   
symbol and double-checked it to be certain, she heard the sound of   
another person entering the dungeon.  
Kitsune hopped to her feet. Even if it was playing tour guide   
again, ANYTHING was better than doing such boring work without someone   
to talk to. She hurried out of the library and was soon at the Heart   
again, looking for the newbie.  
Kitsune nearly fainted when she saw the new member.  
"Kitsune, long time no see." came the calm voice of Haruka   
Urashima.  
//I SEE YOU TWO KNOW EACH OTHER. THEN THERE WON'T BE ANY   
PROBLEMS.// the Keeper commented.  
"Haruka!" Kitsune cried, startling Haruka by hugging the older   
woman, with tears running down her face, "THANK YOU, DARK GODS! THANK   
YOU!"  
"Got bored doing the work by yourself, didn't you?" Haruka   
commented, smiling.  
Kitsune broke the hug and nodded ferverently as she wiped the   
tears away, "Kaolla's not much help and Naru specializes in a different   
style of magic." Then, Kitsune remembered something, "Wait, we haven't   
killed anyone lately."  
"I'm an Elite. I come and go depending on specialized patterns.   
The keeper just happened to find it." Haruka answered.  
"Eh?!" Kitsune asked.  
//I WAS GOING TO BUILD YOU A BIGGER LIBRARY, BUT I MIXED UP MY   
SYMBOLS AND MADE PART OF IT A GRAVEYARD.// the Keeper explained.  
Kitsune managed to resist the urge to facefault, "Anyway, I'll   
show you around. It's going to be great working with you again,   
Haruka."  
\\HMMM, HARUKA SAID HER LAST NAME WAS URASHIMA... COULD SHE BE   
RELATED TO HINA URASHIMA AND KEITARO? I GUESS I'LL JUST HAVE TO WAIT   
AND SEE.\\ the Keeper thought to himself.  
  
Leaving the hatchery was always unusual, as the edge of the   
hatchery essentially washed the person exiting of any filth they might   
have accumulated from the chickens. One could liken it to walking   
through a wall of water. It left you refreshed, but feeling different   
(in the example, for instance, wet).  
Keitaro began walking back to the workshop when he saw Kitsune   
walking with someone he remembered, "Aunt Haruka?"  
The duo stopped as Haruka responded, "Keitaro? I didn't know you   
worked here. It's amazing that your mother would allow it, though."  
"Well, she more or less got fed up with me around the house and   
kicked me out. I decided to be a troll because I'm not too good at   
fighting, but I'm good at blacksmithing." Keitaro answered, before   
noting the end of Haruka's comment, "Why wouldn't mom want me to work   
here?"  
"She and your grandma had a falling out about ten years back.   
Your mother said she didn't want you taking her place because Keepers   
were nothing but parasites, gnawing at the base of society. Ever   
since, they hadn't spoken a word to each other." Haruka replied.  
"Then that's why I didn't hear about Grandma's death." Keitaro   
commented.  
"Probably. I'd sent a letter to your mother when it happened,   
but she likely didn't even read it." Haruka explained.  
"Hmmm, I think she might have. I remember her crying a lot   
around the time that it happened." Keitaro responded.  
Haruka hummed briefly, considering that fact, then nodded, "Well,   
I guess nobody's completely heartless. Even if she didn't want you   
taking up the same career, your mother and grandmother were still   
close."  
"But why didn't you take up her Dungeon Heart?" Keitaro asked.  
"It's not there any more. Grandma hid it when she died, saying   
that only you could ever find it. You're more or less her designated   
heir." Haruka explained, "And if you do decide to take it up, it's got   
more than enough power to make you into one hell of a powerful Keeper."  
Keitaro sighed, "I'll think about it. By the way, I thought you   
were in the that monastery, working to be a monk, but you aren't   
wearing the same robes Naru wears."  
"That's... a tale best told in the Casino." Haruka told him   
before addressing Kitsune, "Up for some gambling?"  
"When am I not?" Kitsune asked.  
  
Keitaro felt bad about not getting to work on Motoko's armor, but   
he'd sent a letter of apology via the Liddo that it would take longer   
than he'd anticipated. Nearby, Kitsune, Naru, Kaolla and Tama-chan   
were gambling on the roulette tables.  
"It started about five years ago. Naru and I were in the same   
monastery. We'd heard some Keeper by the name of Malleus had begun   
creating graveyards and was planning to build a massive force of   
vampires to crush the entire continent. Naru was barely competent   
enough to know the secret of killing vampires, but I was more   
experienced. Not only that, but it took a while to get vampires. We   
figured we'd probably be facing two, maybe six vampires. And they'd   
probably be fairly weak too." Haruka began.  
"What we didn't know was that Malleus had assaulted the nearby   
villages and killed just about every living thing he could, stockpiling   
his graveyards with corpses. We only discovered that fact when we   
entered the town that Malleus had just ransacked." Haruka paused to   
take a sip of a red liquid of which Keitaro decided he didn't want to   
know the source, considering her story, "We weren't up against a few   
vampires, we were up against a legion of vampires. Most were fresh   
from the graveyard, but vampires are still very powerful."  
"We managed to fight our way back to a stone bridge that covered   
water. Naru wasn't looking too healthy and I wasn't going to be able   
to cross the bridge fast enough carrying her. So, I threw her across   
to the far shore and destroyed the bridge. They caught me and Malleus   
had me transformed into a vampire as a means of covering up the cost   
for my capture." Haruka continued.  
"But I thought vampires could only be made by graveyards."   
Keitaro commented.  
"Normally, yes. But, Malleus had gotten an Elite Vampire by the   
name of Diamond. He was pretty ugly, let me tell you. Being an Elite,   
he could make me into a vampire as well. But I didn't become just any   
vampire, I became an Elite." Haruka told him, before continuing her   
story, "Naru'd made it back to the monastery and warned them all about   
the vampires. With the threat of such a massive invasion, the   
monastery alerted six other monasteries and they went down to destroy   
Malleus and his vampires."  
"I was under Diamond's spell during the battle, but I was also at   
the back. He, on the other hand, was at the front, being the cocky   
bastard that he was. The monks managed to kill him permanently,   
freeing me from his spell. I decided that I couldn't go back to the   
monastery and I didn't want to die for good. Besides, there was still   
a chance I could be brought back to life. I fled into one of Malleus'   
portals. The bastard had already taken off the instant he saw his most   
powerful minion die, so he was still alive. I found my way to Grandma   
Hina's domain and talked with her about restoring me to life. Then I   
signed on with her." Haruka finished.  
"There's a way to bring you back to life?" Keitaro asked.  
Haruka nodded, "It requires some pretty awesome artifacts known   
as the Portal Gems in order to get TO the artifacts that can restore me   
to life. We have to get all twenty, though, otherwise there's a good   
chance that whoever enters won't come back. It's just a dream, though.   
We'd have to conquer all of the kingdoms on Earth in order for it to   
come true, seeing as the portal gems are scattered all around the   
globe."  
The two sat in silence for a while. Haruka amused herself by   
watching the other girls gamble while Keitaro contemplated the story.  
Keitaro stood up, "Aunt Haruka, I'm sorry about what happened to   
you. And it seems a bit rude, but I have to get back to work."  
"Don't let me hold you back. We all have jobs to do here,   
Keitaro." Haruka answered.  
Keitaro nodded and exited the casino. Haruka watched him leave   
and wondered if her story would be the catalyst. She didn't like   
forcing it on him, but it was Grandma Hina's last request that Keitaro   
take over her Dungeon Heart. It was the reason Grandma Hina had hidden   
it where only he could find it.  
  
Motoko was pleased. She'd gone to check on Keitaro to make sure   
he wasn't simply goofing off and she'd found that her armor had been   
repaired already. Not only that, but it looked as good as new.  
"Not bad work, Urashima. You're much better at the forge than   
you are at combat." Motoko commented.  
"Ah... thanks..." Keitaro hesitantly responded, unsure if he   
should take it as an insult to his fighting skills or a compliment to   
his work.  
"So, why did you join a Keeper? Your skills are good enough to   
get you a job at the Royal Forge." Motoko inquired.  
"I guess I didn't think about it too much. I was more focused on   
getting a job than getting an excellent job." Keitaro responded.  
"If you don't mind me asking, just how did someone with your   
skill wind up without a job to begin with? Most apprenticeships lead   
to jobs." Motoko asked.  
"I had an apprenticeship with a master blacksmith, but I messed   
up once and broke a client's sword, which was still being forged. The   
client was an important one and wanted to see me visually punished, so   
I got fired on the spot." Keitaro responded.  
Motoko hummed to herself. She could recall an incident like that   
occurring about a year back. The head of clan's third son had ordered   
a special sword, but few craftsmen even dared to try making it. The   
son had finally found a blacksmith willing to forge it, but about a   
month later, he came back, cursing an incompetent apprentice for   
breaking his sword. Another month passed and the son finally had the   
sword he wanted, but wound up getting killed in the first battle he   
fought in.  
Motoko didn't like to think ill of fellow clan members, but the   
head of clan's third son had been a really arrogant jerk. He assumed   
he could do a lot of things and when he couldn't do them, he blamed   
others or his equipment when he dared not blaim others. No doubt he   
had little patience for a petty accident delaying the creation of his   
sword.  
Motoko snapped out of her reverie as she noticed Keitaro's faster   
than normal pace.  
"Is something wrong?" Motoko inquired.  
"Not really." Keitaro responded.  
Motoko wanted to inquire further, but it was not her business to   
meddle in the affairs of others. If he didn't want to talk about it,   
then she was going to respect his wishes.  
"Say, Motoko... what would you do if a family member you hadn't   
seen in a long time left you something really important, but to take it   
would cost you your current job, which you liked a lot?" Keitaro   
inquired.  
"That's a very difficult question." Motoko answered honestly,   
before considering her answer, "I would say that family is always more   
important than one's master, unless you wouldn't be able to use the   
inheritance at all. A wizard, for instance, would never need a two-  
handed blade taller than he was. In cases like that, you would have to   
hold onto it until someone could use it."  
Keitaro looked like he wanted to press for another answer, but   
stopped himself, "Thank you, Motoko."  
"Whatever it is, the keeper may understand and allow you to keep   
both it and your current job." Motoko told him.  
Keitaro smiled at that. The idea of a keeper having a part-time   
job as a troll for another keeper was silly.  
"That's something to think about." Keitaro answered.  
Motoko shrugged and left, wondering what she had said to make   
Keitaro smile.  
  
Kitsune sighed. She'd made some money at the casino, about   
twelve gold, after having lost a good three hundred. At least she and   
Haruka could work together on the pillars.  
Just as they'd finished the second pillar together, Kitsune   
flopped back onto her rump and sighed, "Man, no matter how many times I   
do this, it's still hard on the back."  
She felt Haruka's hands on her shoulders and Haruka's warm breath   
on her ear, "Maybe we should just take a little breather..."  
Kitsune blushed as she nodded. Tilting her head, she winced as   
she felt the fangs dig into her neck. She sighed again, this time out   
of pleasure. She understood why she enjoyed it so much. Blood loss   
induced a state of system shock, which made the body flush in an   
attempt to stave off the cold.  
When Haruka had drained enough, she pulled her teeth out and   
licked the bite marks, healing the injury instantly. Haruka smiled   
sardonically. It was one of the few major advantages to being an elite   
Vampire.  
Kitsune had looked just like Naru when Haruka had first met the   
young female warlock. The only differences at the time was that   
Kitsune was two years older, had platinum hair and rarely opened her   
eyes wide.  
When Kitsune had met Naru, the former hadn't been very happy.   
Kitsune had incorrectly assumed that Haruka had been having fantasies   
about doing to Naru what she did to Kitsune. They'd resolved the whole   
issue when Kitsune decided to cut her hair and Naru had taken to   
letting her hair down.  
Haruka snapped back to the present as Kitsune reached a hand up   
and caressed her face, "It's been a pretty long time, hasn't it?"  
Haruka nodded and stroked Kitsune's hand.  
"Hard to believe that four and a half years have already passed.   
You look exactly like you did back then." Kitsune commented.  
"Vampires don't age and I was only twenty two when it happened."   
Haruka answered.  
"Will it ever change between us?" Kitsune inquired.  
"Not ever." Haruka answered.  
Kitsune turned over, leaned up and kissed Haruka.  
"Even if Seta comes back?" Haruka asked.  
"Not ever." Haruka repeated.  
Kitsune smiled.  
  
//...WELL, I CAN'T BLAME YOU FOR WANTING TO LEAVE. I THANK YOU   
FOR FINISHING ALL THE TRAPS AND DOORS.// the Keeper replied as Naru   
entered the Heart.  
Naru looked at Keitaro, who was wearing street clothes rather the   
the loincloth of a troll.  
"Where are you going?" Naru asked.  
"My Grandmother left me her Dungeon Heart. I can't ignore her   
last wish." Keitaro answered.  
"But you just got here." Naru protested.  
"I know, but I just can't stay. It's been nice meeting you,   
though." Keitaro told her.  
//ACTUALLY, KEITARO, I'D LIKE YOU TO TAKE EVERYONE WITH YOU.//   
the Keeper announced.  
"Eh?!" Keitaro inquired.  
//YOUR GRANDMOTHER WAS MORE INFLUENTIAL THAN YOU THINK, KEITARO.   
SHE SAVED MY LIFE A FEW YEARS BACK AND TAUGHT ME THE TRUE BASICS OF   
BEING A KEEPER. NOW THAT I HAVE ALL THESE DEFENSES, I CAN LIVE WITHOUT   
A FEW CREATURES. NOT ONLY THAT, BUT YOU WILL NEED ALLIES WHEN YOU   
START YOUR OWN QUEST WITH YOUR OWN DUNGEON HEART. I'D RATHER HAVE YOU   
AS AN ALLY THAN AN ENEMY, SEEING AS YOU ARE SUCH A GOOD WORKER.// the   
Keeper explained.  
"Kicking us out already, huh?" Haruka asked.  
//IT MAY SEEM LIKE THAT AT FIRST, BUT I PREFER TO THINK OF IT AS   
AN INVESTMENT IN THE FUTURE. WHEN ALL OF MY SCHEMES ARE THROUGH, I   
WOULD RATHER HAVE MORE FRIENDS THAN ENEMIES.// the Keeper answered.  
"Actually, you're planning on moving your Dungeon Heart because   
you're almost out of cash." Haruka pointed out.  
//YES, WELL, TAMA-CHAN WON BIG AT THE CASINO AND THERE AREN'T ANY   
GEM VEINS NEARBY TO REPLACE WHAT SHE WON.// the Keeper answered.  
"Myu!" Tama-chan declared proudly.  
//...stupid bankrupting flying turtle...// the Keeper grumbled.  
"Well, I guess we're going with you, Urashima." Motoko declared.  
"Sorry to do this to you all..." Keitaro apologized.  
"It'll be fine once we get to your new Dungeon Heart." Haruka   
responded.  
"But, it's going to take a few days to get there... won't you die   
in sunlight?" Keitaro asked.  
"Do I have to keep reminding you? I'm an Elite. We don't die so   
easily." Haruka admonished.  
"Ah... right..." Keitaro apologized, "Well, let's be off..."  
As the group left his dungeon, the Keeper could only wonder.   
Grandmother Hina had changed him from the world's worst keeper to a   
pretty good keeper. She'd seen that he had potential, but was never   
properly taught.  
\\IF GRANDMOTHER HINA CHOSE HIM TO TAKE UP HER DUNGEON HEART OVER   
EVERYONE ELSE, HE MAY BE THE ONE... YES... HE MAY BE THE ONE...\\ the   
Keeper thought.  
Motoko spoke up as they all found themselves at the edge of a   
nearby village, "So, where is this Dungeon Heart?"  
"It should be in a maze about three days to the south. We should   
probably make it there around noon on the third day." Keitaro replied   
as he picked up his bags and began walking.  
  
=======================================================================  
  
Joke Spoilers  
The Troll jokes - The regeneration of lost limbs is ala most   
Forgotten Realms and/or Slayers worlds.  
The living under bridge is from a folk tale about three rams. If   
I remember correctly, the troll was tricked by the two younger rams   
into waiting for the third ram, who was also the most powerful and   
easily defeated the troll. I think the legend has many variations,   
like three brothers instead of goats. The Animaniacs cartoon even did   
a version of it.  
Kaolla's energetic greetings, blurted questions and weird   
contraptions aren't as easy to dictate by words.  
The Tama-chan/Motoko running gag is dead. Motoko isn't afraid of   
turtles in this world.  
  
  
Current Cast  
  
Liddo-kun and friends as Imps  
Keitaro as a Troll  
Kitsune as a Warlock  
Motoko as a converted Knight  
Kaolla as a Mercenary Fairy  
Haruka as a Vampire  
Naru as a Elite Monk  
Mutsumi as a Mistress  
Shinobu as an Elite Dark Knight   
Tama-chan as a Firefly 


	3. Anime Dungeon Keeper 3

It was almost noon on the third day when they finally reached the   
entrance to the maze. The door was a massive wooden door with a   
magical symbol.  
"I remember that Grandma made this for me. I used to play in   
here for hours at a time. If I got hungry, Grandma would just send me   
some food and I'd keep playing. If I got tired, she'd pull me out of   
there and put me in a bed." Keitaro explained.  
"Odd that you didn't know any of that when you started." Kaolla   
noted.  
"Well, it HAD been a long time since I'd been in a dungeon."   
Keitaro responded.  
Motoko walked up to the door and pushed. When the door failed to   
open, she pushed harder, bracing her boots against the ground. As her   
boots began digging into the ground, she gave up, "How are we supposed   
to get in?"  
"You have to be of the family to open the door." Keitaro   
answered, walking up to the door.  
He pushed lightly and the door swung open as if Keitaro had   
performed a flying body check.  
"Why didn't you say that sooner?" Motoko asked, exasperated.  
"I kinda forgot. A lot of this is just coming back to me."   
Keitaro explained as he entered the dungeon's first corridor.  
Motoko turned to Haruka, "And why don't you know?"  
"I've been here once and it wasn't a long visit." Haruka replied.  
"Come on, I know the way to the Heart." Keitaro called from   
inside the corridor.  
The Dungeon Heart was exactly where he had expected it to be.   
The others had been amazed at how Keitaro had found and unlocked all   
the secret doors that would have barred the entrance of anyone who   
didn't know where they were. In fact, it'd taken roughly one minute to   
get to the Dungeon Heart from the entrance.  
"Good thing I remembered the short cut." Keitaro noted.  
"No kidding." the group answered in unison.  
"I don't think anyone would've found those secret passages."   
Motoko declared.  
"Like I said, I used to play in here all the time." Keitaro   
explained.  
"So, what does he have to do in order to be it's Keeper?" Naru   
inquired.  
Before Haruka could respond, Keitaro was already walking up the   
stairway. He walked off the last step, but did not fall. Instead, he   
seemed to hover, as if standing on an invisible platform. A swirl of   
green energy surrounded him briefly just before a flare of magical   
energy coated his body.  
Keitaro looked around, as if trying to decide on something. A   
minor explosion of magical energy later, a swarm of twenty five Liddo   
bounded out of the Dungeon Heart and began digging at the walls.  
"I guess Grandma Hina left a magical instructor." Haruka   
answered.  
"No, she left a number of rooms, all prepared. I'm claiming them   
now." Keitaro responded, "There seems to be about six portals around   
here too. As for instructions, well..."  
Keitaro held up a book that read, "Dungeon Hearts For Dummies".  
"I guess that's why Grandma said that he would be a powerful   
keeper." Kitsune noted.  
"No, it's because she left me a map." Keitaro responded.  
"A map?" Naru inquired.  
Keitaro nodded, "A magical map that only I can see. It leads to   
the four fragments of the legendary Horned Reaper's amulet. With all   
four, I can summon him."  
The jaws of the girls dropped, even Tama-chan's, in perfect   
harmony. Haruka was the only one unfazed.  
"THE HORNED REAPER?!" Motoko demanded.  
Keitaro nodded.  
"The folktale they use to scare small children into behaving?!"   
Naru inquired.  
Keitaro nodded.  
"The nightmarish warrior from ancient times who can NEVER be   
beaten?!" Kitsune asked.  
Keitaro nodded.  
"I haven't seen Horny in a while. It'll be nice working with him   
again." Haruka commented.  
Keitaro paused mid-nod.  
"HUH?!" Motoko and Keitaro asked.  
"What? Horny's amulet always scatters itself whenever his keeper   
dies. Grandma Hina just happened to be Horny's last keeper." Haruka   
answered.  
"Um, in any case, the rooms are all claimed, so you should   
probably go find one. I'm going to start reading." Keitaro told them.  
  
Learning how to be a Keeper was not an easy task. Even with   
"Dungeon Hearts For Dummies" (written, produced and published in small   
quantities by Hina Urashima), it was not an easy thing to do. There   
were some instinctual things, like creating imps, choosing spots for   
digging and so on, but there were also a number of oddities to pick up.  
For instance, the Liddo-type Imps were actually a sign of those   
who'd purchased the books. They were cute, competent and unassuming,   
perfect for catching enemy imps offguard.  
He could actually enter the Dungeon Heart in cases of emergency,   
but doing so for too long would endanger his body and cause him to fuse   
more fully with the Dungeon Heart, which Grandma Hina warned could be   
lethal as the destruction of the Dungeon Heart could cause a heart   
attack or seizure.  
He could also create what was known as a Fog of War, which forced   
enemy magic-users and keepers to use strong scrying spells to see   
anything within a certain radius.  
The symbols were easy enough to memorize. Of course, he   
practiced a few times with a lair to make certain he knew how to create   
one. Once he was certain he had it, he began to look over the rules on   
spells.  
Spells were a whole new ballgame for Keitaro, but again, it was   
mostly symbol memorization. Probably the most infuriating this was   
learning exactly WHY a Keeper needed spellcasters to mark the runes on   
the pillars that lay in all of the libraries.  
The chart for mana expenditure went like so:  
Lightning Bolt on claimed land after research: 1 x Mana  
Lightning Bolt on claimed land before research: 3 x Mana  
Lightning Bolt on unclaimed land after research: 3 x Mana  
Lightning Bolt on unclaimed land before research: 9 x Mana  
Lightning Bolt on enemy land after research: 6 x Mana  
Lightning Bolt on enemy land before research: 18 x Mana  
And that was just a SINGLE lightning bolt. Healing spells were   
much easier, obviously, because the Dungeon Heart made a tiny tie to   
each of the creatures in the Dungeon, allowing him to heal them,   
monitor their health and so on. The only flaw was that it couldn't   
restore the unconscious or destroyed.  
In fact, there were only four spells in all of the charts that   
were the same cost no matter what: Tremor, Heal, Call to Arms and Sight   
of Evil.  
Tremor was probably so overall easy because you weren't acting   
directly. Call to Arms, you were simply placing a summoning spell for   
your creatures, Sight of Evil, you were looking through an enemy's Fog   
of War briefly. Heal sent energy through the tie to the creature,   
allowing it's mind to dictate what was healed and how everything was   
supposed to move (which was why the unconscious, dead or destroyed   
couldn't be healed).  
"Keitaro." Haruka's voice interupted his study.  
He blinked and turned to face her, "What is it?"  
"You should get some rest. Even Grandma Hina never stopped   
sleeping." Haruka told him.  
"I'm fine. The initial boost of mana is like a caffeine boost.   
I'll probably get sleepy once I'm finished with this book." Keitaro   
answered.  
"You've been flipping through it time and again." Haruka pointed   
out.  
"I'm _memorizing_." Keitaro responded, using a forceful tone to   
imply that he was not going to heed any advice about rest.  
Haruka sighed. He was as stubborn as Grandma Hina, sometimes.   
But, then again, he had a very difficult job to adapt to. Being a   
Keeper was a hectic and sometimes unforgiving job.  
"Well, don't stay up too late." Haruka warned him.  
Keitaro murmurred a response.  
  
When Haruka awoke, she looked to see that a steel door had been   
placed at the entrance to the lair. She arched an eyebrow.   
Apparently, either they had gained a Troll, a Bile Demon or Keitaro had   
decided to get to work as such.  
Kitsune was already working on the pillars in the library, Naru   
was praying in the temple, Kaolla and Tama-chan were off searching, and   
Motoko was training in the training room.  
She finally found Keitaro where she expected to find him: The   
workshop.  
"Working on your own doors and traps?" Haruka inquired.  
"I'm creating variants. I noticed, when I was working as a   
Troll, that a lot of traps seemed a bit wasteful or inefficient. I   
didn't want to waste our Keeper's money creating brand new traps, so I   
decided to try them out on my own." Keitaro answered.  
Haruka looked at what would have been four normal tesla coils if   
they had been fused at the base. They each branched out from the base   
with an equal amount of distance between the tips of each coil.  
"You do realize that the only way to test these is to lay them   
out where they can encounter heroes, right?" Haruka inquired.  
"I know. That's why I didn't want to spend our Keeper's money on   
it. This is a Super Lightning Trap." Keitaro responded.  
Haruka glanced at another trap. It looked like a standard cannon   
with turning wheels, only it had two barrels.  
"Double-barrelled Sentry Cannon." Keitaro explained.  
"Well, it's your decision." Haruka responded.  
Keitaro nodded, then looked to his left, "Well, they found the   
first portal."  
"It's taken this long?" Haruka inquired.  
"No, I had them digging up gold earlier. Why bother getting   
minions when I can't pay them?" Keitaro responded.  
Haruka had to admit that the logic was solid.  
  
Keitaro felt a flare of mana that coincided with the sound of the   
arrival of a new creature. He decided to check out the newcomer.   
Keitaro felt that the time he'd spent mastering teleportation around   
his own dungeon was well worth it when he arrived at the portal.  
The newcomer was slightly taller than him, with black hair and   
blue-grey eyes. He had a short ponytail and wore a red shirt with   
black pants. He had metal bracers on his forearms and soft shoes.  
"Um, hi. I'm Keitaro Urashima, the keeper of this dungeon."   
Keitaro began, feeling a bit uncertain of his greeting and wishing he'd   
spent more time figuring out what he was going to say to newcomers.  
The newcomer either didn't notice Keitaro's unease or didn't   
care, "Hey. I'm Ranma Saotome. I don't care what I do, so long as I   
don't have to deal with my stupid father anymore."  
"Uh, well then, I guess... um... you're a fighter, right?"   
Keitaro inquired.  
"Yep, Ranma Saotome, master of the Anything Goes School of   
Martial Arts." Ranma responded.  
Keitaro opened his book. He didn't know of a classification for   
Martial Artist, save for maybe Monk. He pulled out the "Dungeon Hearts   
For Dummies" book and flipped through to the classifications.  
"Hmmm, there doesn't seem to be a martial artist class..."   
Keitaro murmurred.  
"What are you talking about?" Ranma inquired.  
"Well, I have to classify you under one of the set pay scales or   
else you don't get paid properly." Keitaro explained, "Classification   
also grants additional benefits in the form of magical gifts. Trolls,   
for instance, gain fire resistance and the ability to see hidden   
traps."  
"You're the boss. 'sides, I ain't been in a Dungeon before."   
Ranma said.  
Keitaro considered his options, "I could make you a Monk, that   
would give you the ability to heal yourself, kill vampires permanently   
and boost your speed and defense."  
"Well, I guess that'd be kinda cool." Ranma responded.  
"Okay, you're now a monk. I'll show you to the lairs." Keitaro   
declared.  
Before Ranma could reply, they were in the lair. Keitaro gave   
Ranma a brief rundown on how everything worked. Being a Monk, Ranma's   
jobs consisted largely of training, fighting, eating, sleeping and   
occassionally praying.  
Keitaro heard the sound of another creature entering and left   
Ranma to his own devices as the martial artist headed for the training   
room.  
Keitaro just sort of... STARED... at the next new ally. It   
wasn't polite, but one rarely expected to see a seven foot female   
werecheetah, wearing a tank top and tight jean shorts, enter a room,   
let alone climb up out of one's portal. Keitaro, however, managed to   
snap out of his stupor before the werecheetah noticed him gawking at   
the generous amount of cleavage her tanktop showed.  
"Um, hi, I'm Keitaro Urashima, the keeper of this Dungeon."   
Keitaro said, introducing himself.  
"I'm Brittany Diggers. Nice ta meetcha." the werecheetah   
answered.  
"... uh, why do I...er, I mean, uh..." Keitaro began, before   
smacking himself in the head to restart his brain.  
Brittany smiled. Keitaro was at least making a noble effort to   
try and stay focused.  
"You have a lot of innate magical energy, being a lycanthrope, so   
let's see....the classifications you can choose are... Bile Demon,   
Fairy and Dark Angel." Keitaro inquired.  
"Uhh...." Brittany began. She knew what Bile Demons were like   
(and farting was NOT an attack any woman desired), Dark Angels tended   
to be pompous [EXPLETIVE DELETED]s, so the choice was obvious, "I guess   
I'll take Fairy."  
"All right. And now to get you a lair." Keitaro replied.  
  
It had been a long day full of repititive speeches. Apparently,   
every single person who'd entered his dungeon was about as   
knowledgeable as he had been when he'd entered his former Keeper's   
realm.  
But, he now had Cloud Strife, a Dark Knight; Shinobu Maehara, a   
friend of Haruka's who just happened to be an Elite Dark Knight,   
despite the fact that she was only fourteen years old; Pikachu, a   
strange furry creature that was now a Dwarf; Ryoga Hibiki, a Rogue; and   
Gina Diggers, Brittany's sister who was now a Troll (though he'd   
changed the uniform so that she could wear her normal outfit).  
It was nice working with Gina in the workshop. She had some   
pretty good ideas on upgrading the other types of weapons, even though   
the only way to prove their effectiveness was to allow heroes near   
them.  
Keitaro paused a bit. Something about heroes ticked something in   
the back of his head. He had a temple, a graveyard, a casino, a combat   
pit, a torture chamber, a treasury, a lair, a hatchery, a few scattered   
guard rooms, and a training room.  
He smacked his forehead as he recalled he hadn't created a prison   
yet. He created one in the middle of an area he'd begun to use as a   
second treasury. There was a piece of treasury in each corner of the   
prison, but it wouldn't matter much.  
Roughly five minutes later, he felt the portal flare again.  
"Naru, can you meet that one? I'm at a criticul point." Keitaro   
inquired.  
Naru acknowledged. She headed down to the portal to see a   
skeleton carrying an elaborately decorated shield and a massive sword   
climb out of the pit. It looked up at her and raised a hand in a   
friendly and very familiar gesture, "Yah, Naru-chan. It's been a long   
time."  
Naru blinked. Then, she recalled a man who had a similar voice,   
a man who'd been her tutor after Haruka left...  
"SETA!?!" Naru asked, nearly leaping out of her skin at the   
realization.  
"Yup. I'm an Elite Skeleton now." Seta responded nonchalantly.  
Naru fainted.  
  
=======================================================================  
  
Current Cast  
  
Liddo-kun and friends as Imps  
Keitaro as a Troll/Keeper  
Kitsune as a Warlock  
Motoko as a converted Knight  
Kaolla as a Mercenary Fairy  
Haruka as a Vampire  
Naru as a Elite Monk  
Mutsumi as a Mistress  
Shinobu as an Elite Dark Knight   
Tama-chan as a Mercenary Firefly  
Ranma Saotome as a Monk  
Brittany Diggers as a Fairy  
Gina Diggers as a Troll  
Cloud Strife as a Dark Knight  
Pikachu as a Dwarf  
Ryoga Hibiki as a Rogue  
Seta Noriyasu as an Elite Skeleton 


	4. Anime Dungeon Keeper 4

Shinobu was a quiet addition to any Dungeon. Most Elites made   
themselves out to be a rather LOUD pain in the ass for keepers, but   
Shinobu was one of the rare ones who didn't complain as often. Of   
course, when she did complain, it was usually shortly before she got   
fed up and left, so keepers had to be VERY careful about how quickly   
they dealt with complaints and to be mindful of who they'd sent to   
fight spontaneous battles.  
Shinobu had a policy that those who did not complain right away   
about the little things should have their larger problems dealt with   
quickly. After all, the larger the problem, the more important it was.  
So, complaining led to frustration. Frustration led to anger.   
Anger led to rage. Rage led to a lot of broken doors and traps on her   
way back to the portal.  
Of course, there were always those keepers who tried to appease   
her at the last minute. She allowed it once. If it got bad enough   
that she began getting frustrated again, she simply left.  
Not that Keitaro Urashima had much to worry about. He was very   
responsible. He knew that some people, like Motoko and Shinobu,   
couldn't move as fast as everyone else due to their armor, and often   
moved everyone back to the dungeon proper after the battle.  
Of course, strangely enough, there'd been a hero outpost near one   
of Keitaro's portals, but it had been manned entirely by magical traps.   
Keitaro had sent the Liddo and his fighters to destroy the traps and   
claim the outpost, deciding that the outpost would be an excellent   
place to try out his new super traps.  
It had been mostly sentry traps with the occassional fear trap.   
But the biggest surprise had been when Shinobu had smashed down the   
steel door that led to the innards of the post. A bigger-than-average   
sentry trap had been behind the door and had fired directly into her   
face.  
Had Shinobu been a normal fourteen year old girl, the magical   
blast would have kept her down or possibly killed her outright. Her   
armor had protected her somewhat, but it had been her training to dark   
knight status that had saved her life, as she'd been struck in the face   
with things more painful than a mere fireball.  
Still, it hurt a lot.  
It was then that Keitaro showed up, ON THE BATTLEFIELD, to make   
sure Shinobu was truly okay. They hadn't destroyed the sentry trap or   
even confirmed whether or not heroes might have been in the outpost.   
Keitaro had threatened his own life to make sure Shinobu was okay and   
to heal her quickly.  
It had been _stupid_, yet endearing.  
After all, no other keeper she knew of would dare come within   
five feet of a battlefield unless the enemy was busting down their   
doors.  
If Keitaro cared that much about his minions, then it was obvious   
that she would be working with him for quite a while.  
  
Keitaro looked at a few of the trap designs. There were some   
that couldn't be upgraded much at all, like the spike trap. It was   
designed to flip over and lash out at enemies. The only things wrong   
with it was that the blood usually caused the flipping gears to jam and   
locked it in 'assault mode', which made it easy to notice and destroy.   
The notes that came with the trap declared that it was ingenious, but a   
nightmare to keep clean. Keitaro had no doubts about that.  
Gina had managed to upgrade it slightly to a rapidfire style of   
stabbing, meaning it could really tear into someone before they managed   
to back off.  
The gas trap was difficult. The design was efficient, a single   
nozzle on a metal bell-shaped device that unleashed a lesser version of   
the Bile Demon's Gas attack, meaning any upgrades would reduce the   
efficiency. Adding four more release nozzles would increase the amount   
of time the gas attack stayed in effect.  
The fear trap was another tough job. The only things wrong with   
it was that it smelled terrible even when you weren't triggering it,   
it's range and duration weren't the greatest and the brave and/or   
intelligent could hold their breath before destroying it.  
The Nightmare formula that the trap used was potent. To such a  
degree that whoever was manufacturing it had to wear gloves AND take  
the antidote when adding in the slight amount that the trap required.   
And the Nightmare formula was only a third of the power that the trap   
used. The skeleton inside would release terrifying screams while   
powerful illusions would cause further fear to any who ventured too   
close.  
The problem was that increasing anything the trap had or adding   
in nozzles to increase the spread of the Nightmare would endanger his   
own minions, there was no way to increase the skeleton's screams. The   
only thing left to do was to increase the range of the illusions.  
The freeze trap's modification was similar. It already did it's   
function rather well.  
The fireburst trap had some valves added so that the molted steel   
could be poured onto anyone attacking it while it prepared for another   
explosion spell.  
The alarm trap... was annoying and useless.  
The trigger trap... same deal.  
The guard post trap was useful when Keitaro actually assigned   
people to the guard post. It alerted them instantly of attackers. He   
rigged it to also alert the Dungeon Heart. That was about all he could   
do.  
The doors needed very little in the way of upgrading. They   
already served their function perfectly. Some easy bake molds for the   
frames were about all they could do.  
And finally, the wooden barricade. All he could do was treat the   
wood so that it wouldn't catch fire or rot.  
All that was left to do was wait and see if any heroes came to   
test the fruits of his and Gina's labour.  
  
Naru was still in shock. Seta had been .... well, he'd been her   
first crush. And no one liked to see their first crush turned into a   
skeleton.  
But, there wasn't anything she could do. The only thing that   
could restore him to life were the same artifacts that could do the   
same to Haruka.  
The problem was that they needed to work up a good sized and   
highly trained team before heading out on the conquest circuit.  
They'd already trained enough. It was a problem of personnel.   
They had fifteen so far, but twenty-five more were possible before the   
portals were to become inert for a while.  
Then, a shockwave like force hit the dungeon's inhabitants.   
Something or someone tremendously powerful had entered. Everyone in   
the dungeon hurried to see the newcomer, save the chickens, who clucked   
and hopped around.  
As they arrived, the inky darkness that had filled the portal   
room cleared, to reveal a girl with long bangs, a stray lock of hair   
sticking straight up, but otherwise, her hair was rather short. She   
wore a white long-sleeved shirt with an orange skirt, black leather   
boots, and carried a rune-covered sword. From behind her, two feather   
wings hovered, not quite attached, but obviously hers.  
"KEI-CHAN!" the girl squealed, hugging Keitaro.  
"HUH?!" came the nigh-universal response.  
Seta glanced at Haruka, the only one not surprised at the girl's   
reaction to Keitaro and began worrying as the unshakeable Haruka   
Urashima was sweating bullets, "K-k-k-kanako!"  
"Kanako?" Seta inquired.  
"She's Keitaro's adopted sister." Haruka answered.  
"Oh yeah, it''s been quite a while, Kanako..." Keitaro noted,   
recalling the last time he'd seen her was well over ten years ago.  
"I have been waiting to see you! Grandma Hina said that you   
would take up her Dungeon Heart, so I've been checking out just about   
every dungeon that has an open portal." Kanako responded.  
"Um, yeah..." Keitaro began, unsure of why Kanako would do that.   
Sure, they'd been close as kids, but...  
The statement and mood was interupted when Keitaro turned   
suddenly, "Someone's in the guard post."  
  
Lord Kentaro Sakata snarled in frustration. Whoever had created   
the traps that his giant and dwarf were bravely smashing apart had been   
either a genius or a homicidal lunatic. The double-barrelled sentry   
cannon could fire at a steady rate, wearing down attackers at an even   
faster rate, while the strange-looking lightning trap was strong enough   
to stun his fodder, er, men long enough for for them to have eaten a   
meal.  
Finally, his giant finished smashing the lightning trap into tiny   
pieces, allowing them to continue forward. His dwarf suddenly keeled   
over as a spike trap revealed itself and tore into his stomach and arms   
while his giant fell to his back as a powerful gas trap unleashed a   
hellish odor.  
Kentaro growled in frustation. He didn't want to spend his time   
getting all sweaty and dirty smashing traps. That was what minions   
were for. However, it seemed that he would have to do just that.  
He slammed his sword into both the spike trap and gas trap,   
smashing both with one blow. Snorting triumphantly, he turned the   
corner to head towards the evil keeper's Dungeon Heart...  
And ran back towards the hero gate, screaming in terror.  
Only to scream in terror again as he saw a band of keeper   
creatures, all ready to pound him into the ground. Glancing behind   
him, in the hopes that his minions might have been just stunned by the   
traps, he saw nothing. No doubt some imps had already carried them   
off.  
"You'll never take ME alive!" Kentaro told them hysterically as   
he pointed his sword at the group.  
Kanako pointed at Kentaro's face and willed her disruption spell   
into activation. Kentaro screamed in agony as searing acid began   
burning at his face. He dropped his sword and fell to his knees,   
clutching at his face, only to fly backwards as Kitsune blasted him   
with a fireball.  
Driven to a point of insanity out of pain, Kentaro blindly   
charged the group, only to impale himself on Shinobu's sword. The   
blue-haired dark knight huffed in contempt before drawing her sword out   
of the Lord and turned away briefly.  
Kentaro lashed out, hoping to hit something and make his death of   
some value. Shinobu spun and beheaded him. Kentaro's body collapsed   
forward as his head landed a few feet away.  
"Pathetic." Shinobu huffed, kicking the dead Lord's body.  
"Yes, Lord Kentaro wasn't exactly a brilliant or courageous   
man." Motoko commented.  
"That's Lord Kentaro?" Naru commented, as she removed the helmet   
and quickly put it back on as the acid had done a very thorough job of   
making his face a mess, "I'd heard rumors that he was supposed to be a   
handsome and gallant man."  
"Yes, when he was trying to woo you, he could be. Otherwise, he   
was quite obviously a poster child for disreputable youth." Motoko   
answered.  
Haitani groaned. The last thing he recalled was being gutted   
like a fish. Then, he recalled that he had been heading into a   
keeper's dungeon. Since he wasn't rotting in the ground, that   
obviously meant he was either in a prison or-  
He opened his eyes to see a room filled with torture racks.  
Yep, he had been captured.  
He glanced to his left. His giant friend, Shirai, was bound to a   
similar wooden wheel. His backside wasn't even warm, so that meant-  
*DRIP*  
Water torture. Probably mixed with some intensive pain-filled   
torture sessions with a very attractive woman.  
Mutsumi appeared above the dwarf and gave him a tiny wave before   
raising a larger-than-normal nutcracker. Or bonecracker as it would   
likely be used.  
Haitani closed his eyes and hoped really hard that wanting to   
avoid pain would be enough to count him as 'converted'.  
  
Keitaro looked around the fortress. Haruka had been the first to   
point out that Kentaro Sakata had only been respected for the fact that   
his family possessed a portal gem.  
With that knowledge firmly in mind, Keitaro had gathered his   
minions and headed through the hero gate to Kentaro's keep.  
The place was a dump.  
Family banners, half-decayed with the surviving halves being   
quite old and worn, dangled from the few flag posts that were clinging   
desperately from the walls. The walls themselves looked almost caked   
with moss. The doors had holes and anything metal had some level of   
rust on it.  
"How could he or anyone put up with such a dump?" Naru asked.  
"It's quite amazing that he was respected as much as he was.   
Geez, even all of my imps working for a month probably couldn't get   
this place looking nice." Keitaro commented as he walked to a window   
near the front of the keep and peered out.  
And his jaw nearly shattered the foundation.  
Whereas the insides were disgusting and wretched, the outside   
looked to be scrubbed clean of even germs. The stones on the outside   
of the keep were nearly sparkling in their freshness, the moat was   
clean, the gates were well-oiled and the doors were polished.  
"Uh, I guess he was... working on it...." Keitaro commented.  
"Hmm, looks like he was more concerned with how the place   
appeared." Haruka noted.  
"This is almost a perfect reflection of him. Polished looks, but   
everything else was rotten." Motoko addded.  
"I was expecting the entire place to look like this." Keitaro   
declared, shaking his head.  
"I wouldn't put too much into it. He still wasn't much of a   
man." Motoko told him.  
  
Haitani and Shirai had been rather easy to convert. Both had   
decided that Keitaro wasn't so bad the instant Mutsumi placed the   
bonecracker over Shirai's 'little Shirai'.  
Both were immensely pale and shaken, but they were firmly on   
Keitaro's side, not desiring to find out what Mutsumi might do to them   
if they ever thought to change sides. That or they hated Kentaro's   
keep so much that they'd rather live in a place that was cleaned   
regularly.  
Shirai was very helpful in the workshop, as it turned out. He   
seemed almost too eager to get Keitaro whatever he needed while   
creating normal traps on his own.  
Haitani for his part was helping the Liddo out in digging tunnels   
and claiming land, which the dwarf found was a lot easier than it had   
originally seemed.  
Seta was directing a bunch of Liddo in cleaning up the interior   
of Kentaro's... Keitaro's keep as it would be the first base of   
operations that they'd have away from Grandma Hina's pre-constructed   
Dungeon. Kitsune and Haruka were finishing up in the library and Ranma   
was researching new training room designs.  
Keitaro has just finished another one of his Super Traps when he   
felt a strange presense. He hurried to the Dungeon Heart and activated   
the magical map. Then frowned. Apparently, another Keeper had entered   
his realm.  
He would have to determine whether or not this new keeper was   
friend or foe. If friend, then they'd trade ideas. If not, well,   
Keitaro was already planning for that.  
  
=======================================================================  
  
Current Cast  
  
Liddo-kun and friends as Imps  
Keitaro as a Troll/Keeper  
Kitsune as a Warlock  
Motoko as a converted Knight  
Kaolla as a Mercenary Fairy  
Haruka as a Vampire  
Naru as a Elite Monk  
Mutsumi as a Mistress  
Shinobu as an Elite Dark Knight   
Tama-chan as a Mercenary Firefly  
Ranma Saotome as a Monk  
Brittany Diggers as a Fairy  
Gina Diggers as a Troll  
Cloud Strife as a Dark Knight  
Pikachu as a Dwarf  
Ryoga Hibiki as a Rogue  
Seta Noriyasu as an Elite Skeleton  
Kentaro as a Lord of the Land  
Haitani as a converted Dwarf  
Shirai as a converted Giant  
  
  
OMAKE+_+_+_+OMAKE  
  
  
"And now, Elite Dark Knights jumping on trampolines!!"  
"WHEEE!!!!"  
  
"And now, for something terrifying! Trolls and Bile Demons jumping on trampolines!"  
  
"Our Dungeon Floor is lumpy, jump up and down.... Do it GIRLS!!"  
"GO-GO-GO-GO-GO-GO-GO-GO!"  
"LALALALALALALALALALALALALALALA!!!!"  
  
"Micro-piglets stalk our dungeon!"  
*Glares intently*  
"BEWARE!!!"  
"Oh no, they're gnawing on Seta!!"  
"Oh, hell yeah, this takes me back to junior high!"  
  
Haruka glared at Keitaro, "Your nocturnal perseverence has earned you a hidden gaming tip: GO TO BED!"  
  
"Micro-piglets stalk our Lord of the Land."  
*Yawns loudly*  
"WHO CARES!!!"  
  
Kentaro Sakata as a Lord of the Land who gets killed falling out a twenty story building to land on a bicycle with no seat face first. After that, he's referred to as Bicycle Face or Nosejob. 


End file.
